What will I do differently?

I'm linking up with Finding JOY in 6th Grade for:

 See what I hope to do differently!!

•  This year was my first year in a new school division, school and position.  The majority of the year I spent learning about the school and the students.  I was definitely not the most efficient and effective teacher.  Next year I plan to set up my targeted literacy group using a Daily 5 / 4 Block for Literacy model.  I have used this model in the past, but this year it just didn't happen.  I plan on making sure my targeted strategies are in place at each centre.  Stay tuned, as I plan more this summer (we still have 4 weeks left with kiddos) I will share my templates.  I'm taking a Reading disabilities course during the first week of July.  I'm hoping to incorporate what I learn into this structure!

•  I just finished taking a course on Assistive Technology Implementation from Portland State University.  The course was pretty good.  It made me analyze how we implement AT and how to review the AT plan.  We already use the SETT (Student, Environment, Task, Tool) framework to assign AT at my school but we need to collect more data to see if the AT we are implementing is actually making a difference.

• I am going to graduate next spring with a MEd in Special Education!  I am so excited, but I'm unsure what I would like to do after the fact.  Time will tell hopefully!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Kelsey

Summer Bucket List

My Summer Bucket List:

Home:

• We are hoping to put our house up for sale next spring.  This summer will be about purging and organizing our house before we stage it to sell it!

Personal Life:

• We are heading to Las Vegas in July!  I love Las Vegas!  I'm excited for the heat, pool time, shows and SHOPPING!!!

• I have one class to take this summer for my masters.  I am taking a course on reading disabilities and interventions at a school level.

School:

• Next year we will be going to a BYOD model for the grade 8 and grade 9 levels.  This summer I will spend time creating moodle shells.  I will also spend time planning my literacy and math targeted intervention groups!  The last thing I plan on doing is looking at our LIFE skills program and pulling curricular outcomes out of the program of studies to match this program.

Executive Functioning

Last September I started a new job as a Learning Support Teacher at a middle school.  This year has been a challenging and an amazing year all in one!  I am fortunate to be returning next year to the same position!

A couple of weeks ago I had an amazing opportunity to go to Washington DC to go to an Executive Functioning conference.  The highlights of this conference were seeing Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences) and Russell Barkley (ADHD guru).  Next year my school will be involved in a pilot project.  We are looking at using the principles of UDL to stretch to reach more students.  One thing that many of our students need support with is executive functioning!  I am so excited to implement some of things we learnt at this conference!  Below are some pictures I took in DC as well as links to some great EF resources.

What are some universal supports you use in your classroom to support EF?

Executive Functioning Resources: